Ron Duguay, a prominent figure in New York’s social scene, passed away from cancer at 69. He shared a memorable encounter during the debut episode of the New York Post’s Rangers podcast, “Up In The Blue Seats.”
Before Page Six became known for its gossip, Duguay was making headlines in his own right.
In a remarkable twist, Duguay recounted how he ended up in Gene Simmons’ bed with Cher after a night out at Studio 54. “I’m not one to kiss and tell, but here it goes,” he said during the podcast.
On January 20, 1982, after the Rangers triumphed over the Islanders, Duguay headed to Studio 54, a frequent spot despite the displeasure of coach Herb Brooks. Duguay, then 24, recalls someone calling him over—it was Liza Minnelli, who wanted to meet him and liked the Rangers. Following a brief chat with her husband, Minnelli invited Duguay to a party at her home and introduced him to Cher, who was 35 at the time.
“When Cher wants something, she goes for it,” said Duguay. She took him by the arm, asking if he could dance. They danced to popular tunes of the era, with Duguay feeling both thrilled and out of place. He vividly remembers the moment, Cher leaning her head on his shoulder, looking quite comfortable while he felt a mix of awe and nervousness, recalling his childhood memories of watching “Sonny & Cher.”
The moment was captured by The Post’s Vernon Shibla, showing Cher resting her head on Duguay’s shoulder.
After dancing, they returned to Minnelli’s table, where she mentioned leaving for home. “C’mon, we’re going,” Cher urged him.
They waited about half an hour in the lobby of Minnelli’s apartment building before Cher began to lose patience, eventually leading them to take a taxi.
“Where are we going?” Duguay asked.
“Just come with me, son,” Cher replied.
The cab ride brought them to what Duguay later described as a charming townhouse. Before opening the door, Cher playfully warned him, “By the way, I don’t beep, beep, beep on the first date.”
Duguay chuckled, thinking to himself, “I’m just glad to be here.”
As he stepped inside, he noticed gold records decorating the walls, only to realize they belonged not to Cher but to KISS. Cher revealed they were actually at Simmons’ place.
“So now I find myself in Gene Simmons’ townhouse, somewhat puzzled about why I was there. Before long, we were sitting on his bed,” Duguay noted, tantalizingly stopping short of sharing more.
